Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1887-01-15

CHAPTER VI
For quarter Of an hour the drawing room
remained empty. At the end of that time
the council in the boudoir broke up. Lady
Lydiard led the way back to the drawing
room, followed by Hardyman, Isabel being
left to look after the dog. Before the door
closed behind him Hardyman turned round
to reiterate his last medical directions, or, in
palmer words, to take a last look at Isabel
PLENTY of water, Miss Isabel, for the dog
to lap, and little bread or biscuit II he
wants something to eat. Nothing more. il
you please, till see him tomorrow"
"Tbank you, sir. l will take the greatest
care"
At that point Lady Lydiard cut short the
interchange Of instructions and civilities.
"Shut the door, II you please, Mr.. Hardy
man, feel the draught. Many thanks!
am really at q loss to tell you how CRATE
fully feel your kindness But for you my
poor little dog might have been dead by this
time
Hardyman answered in the quiet, melan-
choly monotone which was habitual
with him, "Your ladyship need feel no
further anxiety about the dog. Only be
careful not to overfeed him. He will do
very well under Miss Isabel's care. By the
by, her family name is Miller, is it not Is
she related TO the Warwickshire Millers, of
Duxborough HouseT
Lady Lydiard looked at him with an ex-
preston Of satirical surprise. "Mr Hardy
man." she said, 'this makes the fourth time
you have questioned me about Isabel You
seem to take great interest in my little
companion Don't make any apologies,
pray. You pay Isabel compliment; and as
am very fond OF her, | am naturally graft
fed when | find her admired At the same
time, she added, with one of her abrupt tran
sitions Of language, II had my eye on you and
| had my eye on her when you were talking
In the next room, and don't mean to let you
make fool Of the girl She is not in your
line of life, and the sooner you know 1t the
better. You make me laugh when you ask
if she Is related to gentlefolks She is the
orphan daughter of a chemist in the country.
Her relations haven't penny to bless them
selves with, except an old aunt, who lives in
village on two or three hundred a year.
heard of the girl by accident When she
lost her father and mother, her aunt
offered to take her. Isabel said: NO. thank
you; will not be burden on a relation who
las OulJ ChOuRh 1OI hCl SOL. n RlIl Chu earn
an honest living if she tries, and mean to
try'-that's what she said admired her in
dependence" her ladyship proceeded, ascend
ing again to the higher regions Of thought
and expression. my niece's marriage, Just
at that time, had left me alone in this great
house. proposed to- Isabel to come to me as
companion and reader for a few weeks.
and to decide for herself whether she liked
the life or not. We have never been separat-
ed since that time. / could hardly be fonder
of her if she were my own daughter, and she
returns my affection with all her heart. She
has excellent qualities-prudent, cheerful
sweet-tempered; with good sense enough to
understand what her place is in the world, as
distinguished from her place in my regard
/ have taken care, for her own sake, never to
leave that part of the question in any doubt
1t would be cruel kindness to deceive her as
to her future position when she marries. l
shall take good care that the man who paws
his addresses to her is a man in her rank of
life. know but too WELL in the case of one
of my own relatives, what miseries unequal
marriages bring with them Excuse me for
troubling you at this length on domestic
matters am very fond of Isabel, and a
girls head is SO easily turned. Now YOU
know what her position really is, you win
also know what limits there must be to the ex-
preston of your interest in her. am sure
we understand each other; and l say no
more
Hardyman listened to this long haranglIe
with the immovable gravity which was part
of his character-except when Isabel had
taken him by surprise When her ladyship
gave him the opportunity of speaking on his
side he had very little to say, and that little
did not suggest that he had greatly profited
by what he had heard His mind had been
full OF Isabel when Lady Lydiard began, and
1t remained Just as full Of her, in Just tbs
same way, when Lady Lydiard had done
"Yes be remarked, quietly, Miss ISabe
is an uncommonly nice girl, as you say
Very pretty, and such frank, unaRected